Freedom.
Main Entry: free·dom
Pronunciation: 'frE-d&m
Function: noun
1 : the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : INDEPENDENCE c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care> d : EASE, FACILITY
2 a : a political right b : FRANCHISE, PRIVILEGE
synonyms FREEDOM,
As an American freedom is my privilege and many people do not realize that many Americans, the typical ones that lives and breathes in this country, think that ALL people should be free and have those same rights.
It is why we escaped oppression in the first place; we are not a nation built by the wealthy, but by the oppressed and the enslaved. An indebted people clustered together with a rich history of taking, giving and getting.
Many average Americans think that all people in the whole world, regardless of who they are, where they are born, what religion they believe or do not believe in, how they practice or do not practice sex (as long as it is not with little children, we seem to agree on this, even our prisoners will kill pedophiles,) ought to be able to be free to pursue happiness.
Our constitution does not guarantee happiness but the pursuit of it.
And most of us go after happiness so hard that we forget about the really important ingredients in life.
Freedom.
For me, it is about the ability to choose and to not have to answer to anyone but Him, to be able to write about my feelings and thoughts freely. In some countries I would not dare "talk about God" the way that I do.
I would cost me my very life.
My nation is complicated, full of passionate people, full of loving people, full of mean people.
My country is full of apathy and intelligence.
My country is a crazy quilt that holds itself together by changing the guards often and regularly, so that no one person or people become king, so that we rule ourselves and if we fail, we fail all by ourselves.
If YOU do not like what is happening, VOTE. Many of us do not vote and in other countries, right now, people are dying to earn the right we waste with our apathy.
I treasure my lucky life and I personally thank God for it's beauty, my nationality gives me the right to thank whomever I want to thank.
I could, if I choose to, thank Captain Kirk for my life but of course I do not. I could say that it is all about me, if I wanted to. I could even thank my lovely Dog. Instead I thank my God.
Our money says: In God We Trust.
Freedom.
Man is meant to be free to choose, even Adam and Eve had a choice.
To eat or to not eat.
Go celebrate, if you want to.
Or don't.
It is, after all, your choice.
xxoo
This is lovely, Christina. It is so much more valid than "I'm proud to be an American." The fact is, being American is nothing for me to be proud of...it is not a personal achievement--for me anyway. I was born here.
ReplyDeleteThe actual fact is, I'm lucky...fortunate...blessed... grateful to be an American. Even in light of my opinions about the "Current Occupant."